Culture

Study reveals record rise in insulin use

"Understanding the pattern of insulin use is limited by a lack of data characterising the prevalence of insulin use in the UK," according to Craig Currie, Professor of Applied Pharmacoepidemiology at Cardiff University's School of Medicine, who led the study alongside colleagues from the University of Bristol.

"Given the limitations, our study sought to calculate – for the first time – the best possible estimate of the rates of insulin for type 1 and type 2 diabetes."

Acute kidney injury may be a risk factor for later heart problems

Washington, DC (February 6, 2014) — Patients who experience abrupt kidney injury following surgery have an increased risk of later developing heart problems, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings suggest that properly treating and monitoring patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) could help protect their heart health.

US lead in science and technology shrinking

The United States' (U.S.) predominance in science and technology (S&T) eroded further during the last decade, as several Asian nations--particularly China and South Korea--rapidly increased their innovation capacities.

Heart health through gut health

A new study, "Effect of probiotics on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease: implications for heart-healthy diets," published in the January issue of Nutrition Reviews, examined 26 clinical studies and two meta-analyses to assess the potential of probiotics in reducing LDL-cholesterol.

Of the probiotics examined, L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 (Cardioviva™) was found to best meet therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) dietary requirements by:

Heart disease risk linked with spouses' social support

Matters of the heart can influence actual heart health, according to new research. A study from researchers at the University of Utah shows that the ways in which your spouse is supportive — and how you support your spouse — can actually have significant bearing on your overall cardiovascular health.

The findings reveal that when both partners perceive the support they get from each other as ambivalent — that is, sometimes helpful and sometimes upsetting– each partner's levels of coronary artery calcification (CAC) tend to be particularly high.

Want brand loyalty? Scare your customers

Consumers will cling to a product like Coke for comfort if watching a scary movie on their own, a new study from UBC's Sauder School of Business shows. This finding contradicts industry norms which see significantly fewer product placements in horror films compared to other genres.

Why do young people fail to thrive?

Around the world, more and more young people are failing to find stable jobs and live independently. A new study from IIASA population researchers explains why.

The numbers of young people who fail to transition from childhood to independent adulthood is growing – more and more young people find themselves without full-time jobs, relying on their parents, or staying longer in school. These changes can be traced changes in the global labor force and education according to a new study published today in the Finnish Yearbook of Population Research.

Early treatment with AED reduces duration of febrile seizures

New research shows that children with febrile status epilepticus (FSE) who receive earlier treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) experience a reduction in the duration of the seizure. The study published in Epilepsia, a journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), suggests that a standard Emergency Medical Services (EMS) treatment protocol for FSE is needed in the U.S.

Durable end to AIDS will require HIV vaccine development

WHAT:

Broader global access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapies and wider implementation of proven HIV prevention strategies could potentially control and perhaps end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. However, a safe and at least moderately effective HIV vaccine is needed to reach this goal more expeditiously and in a more sustainable way, according to a new commentary from Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and colleague Hilary D. Marston, M.D., M.P.H.

Food insecurity leads to increased incidence of tuberculosis in Zimbabwe

TORONTO, ON - The rise of tuberculosis (TB) in Zimbabwe during the socio-economic crisis of 2008-9 has been linked to widespread food shortage, according to a new study led by Canadian researchers from the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health published in PLOS ONE.

Some receive unnecessary prioritization for liver transplantation, says Penn Medicine study

(PHILADELPHIA) – Patients waiting for liver transplants who develop hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS), a lung disorder associated with end-stage liver disease, are eligible to move up on the wait list. In a new paper published in Gastroenterology, however, Penn Medicine researchers argue the so-called "exception points" given to these patients award some HPS patients unnecessary priority over others on the list, which includes about 17,000 patients.

New approach prevents thrombosis without increasing the risk of bleeding

In collaboration with an international team, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed an antibody, 3F7, which blocks a protein that is active in the coagulation system factor XII. Inhibition of factor XII makes it possible to prevent thrombosis in blood vessels without increasing the risk of bleeding in clinical settings.

Health Affairs examines successes and missing links in connected health

You can successfully integrate technology into patient care, but it isn't easy. Just ask Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) and its 3.4 million members. Robert M.

Study untangles divergent US job-tenure patterns

WASHINGTON, DC, February 5, 2014 — Have American jobs become less stable? Do workers change employers more frequently than in the past?

Many Americans would probably say the answer to these questions is an obvious yes. Yet, for the past few decades researchers looking at the data haven't been so sure: average job tenure (the number of years working for the same employer) has been surprisingly stable over time.

Study supports 3-D MRI heart imaging to improve treatment of atrial fibrillation

SALT LAKE CITY—A University of Utah-led study for treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation (A-fib) provides strong clinical evidence for the use of 3-D MRI to individualize disease management and improve outcomes.

Results of the Delayed-Enhancement MRI Determinant of Successful Radio-frequency Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation (DECAFF) study will be published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.